RE-CERTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR A FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20100030361A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health Ireland Unlimited Company (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gaines, Robert B., Knauper, Christopher A., Price, Jeffrey E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,998,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/702 automatically during use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers

Abstract

A flow control apparatus includes a flow control apparatus adapted to load a re-certification feeding set. The apparatus further includes a software subsystem in communication with the flow control apparatus having a re-certification procedure that determines whether a user has performed manual tests on the apparatus to verify that at least one component of the apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range. The subsystem disables automatic testing if it determines that manual testing has not been performed and executes a reiterative process prompting the user to conduct manual testing if the subsystem determines that manual testing has been performed.

Claims

1. A flow control apparatus comprising:

a flow control apparatus adapted to load a re-certification feeding set; and

a software subsystem in communication with the flow control apparatus comprising a re-certification procedure that determines whether a user has performed manual tests on the apparatus to verify that at least one component of the apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range, the subsystem disabling automatic testing if it determines that manual testing has not been performed and executing a reiterative process prompting the user to conduct manual testing if the subsystem determines that manual testing has been performed.

2. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the software subsystem prompts the user to conduct manual testing after the automatic testing is disabled.

3. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the manual tests verify that a battery of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

4. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the manual tests verify that an LED light display of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

5. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the manual tests verify that a sound system of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

6. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the manual tests verify that a sensor of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

7. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the software subsystem enables automatic testing after a confirmation that the manual tests have been performed, the subsystem prompting the user to conduct the automatic tests to verify that at least one component of the apparatus related to driving fluid through the re-certification feeding set is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

8. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the automatic tests verify that a rotor of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

9. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the automatic tests verify that a gear arrangement of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

10. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the automatic tests verify that a motor source of the flow control apparatus is functioning within a predetermined operational range.

11. A flow control apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein if the subsystem determines that the automatic tests were successful the subsystem saves the results to a database, displays a re-certification complete message, and prompts the user to power down the apparatus, and if the subsystem determines that the automatic tests were unsuccessful the subsystem displays a re-certification failure message and prompts the user to power down the apparatus.

12. A flow control apparatus comprising:

a flow control apparatus adapted to load a re-certification feeding set;

a sensor for sensing the loading of the re-certification feeding set to the flow control apparatus; and

a software subsystem in operative association with the sensor, wherein the software subsystem comprises a re-certification procedure to verify that at least one component of the flow control apparatus related to driving fluid through the re-certification feeding set is functioning within a predetermined operational range.